Kuroi Yume Black Dreams
by Leo Shinatome
Summary: Muraki's torment of Hisoka is wearing him down. An encounter with the doctor leaves Hisoka in a stranger's care, the stranger has ties to Muraki but what are they? How will Hisoka know if he can be trusted?
1. 1

Warnings: Angst..Angst..more angst. Prying into the depths of Hisoka's mind.  
  
Kuroi Yume  
  
Hisoka yawned and looked out over the grounds in front of the Ministry. 'Spring is nice but you get sick of it when it's ALWAYS spring.' He sighed and turned back to his paperwork. It was fairly quiet since Tsuzuki had announced his lunch break and strode out of the office. Hisoka had decided to tackle the mound of paperwork that had piled up on Tsuzuki's side of the desk. 'Why does it seem like I'm always the one who ends up doing all the busy work even though we split it fifty-fifty?' He looked at the pile of paper, now with a significant dent in it and checked his watch. 'He's been gone four hours.baka yaro...' A breeze ruffled his blond hair and he looked out at the window. 'I didn't open that' a chill streaked down his spine. He felt another presence in the room. Whatever its intentions were he could tell he wouldn't like them. He quickly stood up and scanned the empty office.  
  
"HISOKA!!!!!!!!" yelled a voice right next to his ear. Hisoka yelled and whirled around aiming a vicious uppercut at the intruder's head. It connected with a dark brown mop and the mysterious person yelped. Hisoka found himself staring into huge teary purple eyes. "Hisoka kuuuuuun!" whined Tsuzuki "Hidoi!! That hurt!" Hisoka was still panting.  
  
"Don't DO that!" he yelled.  
  
"Demo...I just wanted to how my shields were working. You couldn't really sense me right?" I'm getting better right?" Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka with pleading eyes.  
  
"Tsuzuki, don't EVER do that again." The empath snapped. He stormed out of the office and past Tatsumi who was walking down the hallway. Tatsumi looked around the corner at Tsuzuki who was still standing in a state of shock. Tatsumi raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What did you do to Kurosaki-kun Tsuzuki?" Tsuzuki just blinked and looked at him.  
  
"He was really angry with me." He murmured. "I was just playing a joke." Tatsumi pushed his glasses back up his nose.  
  
"A joke that was not well taken, don't tease Kurosaki so much. He can't handle it." Tsuzuki nodded and sighed.  
  
"I'd better go find him."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hisoka sat under one of the large Sakura trees near the lake. His head in his hands, willing his heart rate to slow and his breathing return to normal. As his adrenaline high wore off his body began to shake under the stress. Tsuzuki had no idea just how much he had scared him. The idea of being trapped with someone he could hardly sense in an otherwise empty room frightened him out of his mind. 'Get a hold of yourself. You've got to go back. Nothing happened and nothing is going to.' With that Hisoka tried to make his shaky legs support him. He had just managed to get standing when there was the hesitant sound of a throat clearing. Surprised, Hisoka lost his balance and sat back down with a 'thunk' legs splaying in all directions.  
  
"Damnit, Tsuzuki!"  
  
"Hisoka! Gomen.I didn't mean to scare you.." Hisoka shot a glare at Tsuzuki.  
  
"The first or second time?"  
  
"Ano.the second, but I am sorry." Tsuzuki looked hesitantly at his partner. "Hisoka.are you alright? You haven't been yourself lately." Hisoka's eyes clouded with uncertainty for a moment before clearing.  
  
"I'm fine Tsuzuki. Don't worry about me. I just haven't been sleeping well." Hisoka looked down at the blades of grass between his fingers.  
  
"Saa! You should go see Watari! I'll bet he can help you. Promise you'll see him Hisoka? Please??" Tsuzuki gave Hisoka a pleading look. Hisoka sighed.  
  
"Fine, if that's what it takes for you to leave me alone."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well Bon, here are some pills that might help you sleep. Though it would be better if you could tell me what you think is keeping you from sleeping." Watari was smiling but he radiated concern. Hisoka shook his head.  
  
"I don't know what it is. I can't remember any of my dreams so I have no idea if that's the problem. Thank you though Watari, I appreciate it." Hisoka rose gracefully from his seat then paused at the door. "Do you think its possible Watari, for someone to die twice?" Watari frowned and gave Hisoka an uncharacteristic look of seriousness.  
  
"There are many ways to die Hisoka-san." Hisoka's eyes clouded as if looking through Watari at something unseen.  
  
"Hai, arigato Watari-san" Hisoka stepped through the door way and strode down the hall. When he got a safe distance from Watari's office he allowed himself to slump against the wall. "I can't believe I lied to him." The whisper just barely reached Hisoka's ears. He was very well aware as to what kept him from sleeping at night. Silver and red. Dark trees and soft wind. Worst of all were the whispers. Then there came the pain and burning that would jolt him out of slumber. His curse scars would burn, sometimes for the whole night, afterwards. Mostly the pain came in waves and left him panting and shaking, unable to do anything but curl in on himself and wait for them to pass.  
Hisoka pushed off of the wall and began to walk down the white marble steps of the Ministry. He could have just teleported himself back to his apartment but today he wanted to walk. All too soon he arrived at the dark wood door. The key clicked dryly in the latch and the door swung open with a creak. Hisoka glared at it. It seemed the entire world was attempting to make him feel as unpleasant as possible. Muttering threats to the door about possible replacements, Hisoka entered the immaculate yet empty apartment. His uncharacteristic babble was meant to dispel the room's uncanny silence. Yet all it served to do was a mocking empty echo that emphasized rather than dispersed the quiet.  
When he entered the room Hisoka's eyes grew heavy. Too many nights without sleep wore on him. He managed to swallow some of the pills that Watari had given him before collapsing on the bed. A kind of lightness took him and he felt like he was almost floating before he drifted into sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hisoka woke in a very odd position. 'Why am I standing?' Troubled eyes took in his surroundings. Hisoka cursed softly under his breath. This wasn't the world of the dead. This was earth. "How in the world did I get here?"  
  
"A good question Boy. A better one I think is why." Hisoka turned around slowly. Dreading what he would see. A white and silver angel, illuminated in the pale moonlight. Muraki smiled, "We seem to run into this predicament many times, don't we Boy?" Hisoka took a step back, quaking from head to toe.  
  
"How did you.why is it that I'm here?" Muraki's smile became a smirk as he pushed his glasses higher on his nose.  
  
"You let your mind wander Boy. It is easy to catch onto it and make it obey my will. Especially when it is so vulnerable. You should have a talk with your doctor. Handing out medicines on a whim can have such devastating affects." Hisoka stepped back another pace, bringing his back up against a wall. There was nowhere else to run to.  
  
"You bastard, you've been manipulating my dreams."  
  
"Dolls are meant to be manipulated. However, I haven't tied all the strings to you yet." Muraki closed the distance between them, catching Hisoka's wrist as it tried to strike him. He pulled Hisoka sharply around, pressing the boy's back against his chest, pinning his arms behind him. Hisoka felt his scars blaze to life on his body. His strength was ebbing away. He slumped against Muraki, eyes closing in defeat.  
  
"That's enough Muraki, let him go." A cool collected voice sounded out of the shadows.  
  
Author's Note: Who is this mysterious person? What does it want? How does it know Muraki? Stay tuned for the next chapter. *dun dun dun* ^_^  
  
P.S- good writing skills = interest = energy = food = fan fiction reviews.  
Therefore, good writing skills = fan fiction reviews 


	2. 2

Whee!! On to part 2! If there are any mistakes please tell me! I tend to write at 2:00 in the morning when my brain is at its most abstract.  
  
Kuroi Yume (Black Dreams) Part 2  
  
"That's enough Muraki, let him go." Muraki's head snapped up with the look of a predator ready to defend its prey. Hisoka also struggled to muster the energy to raise his head and get a look at the newcomer. His eyes followed a trail of movement as the person jumped down from atop a nearby gate. It was a boy wearing all black. His hair was as silver as Muraki's save for one thick black streak. He approached slowly but purposefully. "You've done enough poaching for one night." At this statement Muraki snarled.  
  
"You have no claim on him. He is mine."  
  
"I don't see your name written on him." Muraki let out a deep chuckle.  
  
"Still using childish retorts against me?" One bone-white hand clamped around Hisoka's neck forcing his head up. The other slid up his stomach, pushing up his shirt and revealing the glowing red scars. Hisoka shivered in revulsion. "As you can see I have 'written my name on him' as you so asininely put it." The strange boy's eyes flickered for a moment before regaining their composure.  
  
"I say it again, release him." Muraki was almost hissing at this point. Then a small smile came over his face.  
  
"Have it your way then." Hisoka gasped as something slammed against his mental shields, forcing them down. His remaining strength was ripped away from him and he collapsed to the ground as Muraki let go of him. The doctor gave Hisoka one last leering grin before striding off into the shadows. The silver haired boy watched the doctor's retreating back for a while before kneeling carefully at Hisoka's side.  
  
"Try to move lad." Hisoka tried to get his shaky limbs to obey. But the onslaught of a pounding headache prevented him. He whimpered.  
  
"It hurts too much."  
  
"Try." Hisoka willed himself to ignore the pain. He managed to get his arms under him before a spike of pain lanced through his head. He cried out softly, not wanting to give in. Wiry arms suddenly lifted him, Hisoka found himself staring into cloudy gray eyes.  
  
"Sleep now lad." The strange boy's hand sought a spot on Hisoka's neck and pressed. Hisoka felt like he was falling as nothingness enveloped him. The black-clad youth looked up from the unconscious boy down the street where Muraki had disappeared. "So you wish to make things difficult for me? I think you underestimate him." With that he slung Hisoka over his shoulder and made his way down the dark street. The shadows closed after him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
All except the remnants of the headache were gone by the time Hisoka opened his eyes. He was lying in the bed of a room he did not recognize. It was almost as bare as his apartment. No decorations or mementos decorated the walls. There was one dresser and a large gilded mirror. The only thing out of place was a small black jewelry box resting on a dark red bolt of cloth across the top of the dresser. Hisoka tried to rise from the bed only to find he couldn't move. It was if his limbs did not belong to him anymore. The only feeling he had was the leftovers of the headache and the smallest of aches right under his ribcage. He was pondering how he had come across the latter when he heard the door being opened softly. The strange boy stood just inside the doorway, closing it quietly behind him. Everything about him seemed quiet. He was still wearing black, now Hisoka realized why he had not seen him before he spoke to Muraki. His black turtleneck and jeans reflected no light. The boy padded softly over to the bed and stretched out a hand, obviously inviting Hisoka to grab hold of it. Hisoka looked at him hesitantly.  
  
"I can't." As if to prove his point he tried his best to move his arms but could not manage to do it. A pale hand took hold of his and turned it over gently, checking for the pulse. Hisoka started to shake. He couldn't feel anything from the boy, nothing. It was as if he was a blank slate. "Who are you?"  
  
"Rinjuu, Rinjuu Eien. Call me 'Rin'" He looked at Hisoka as if expecting a reply.  
  
"Hisoka Kurosaki." Rin nodded and gently placed Hisoka's hand back on the bed.  
  
"You are feeling better?" Hisoka nodded.  
  
" I still have the remnants of a headache, and my chest hurts but otherwise I am fine."  
  
"Rest will cure you of the headache and as for the other, I carried you all the way here. Your chest is probably slightly bruised." Rin turned and started to leave.  
  
"Rin," Hisoka bit his lip as the boy paused at the doorway. "I should be heading back home soon. My friends will worry about me." Rin turned and fixed him with a gray-eyed stare.  
  
"You cannot leave just yet. But you may try." With that Rin was gone, the door smoothly shutting behind him. Hisoka was left alone with his worries.  
  
Author's note: Sorry this chapter is short. No, Rin is not an anime character. He belongs to my twisted mind. Do not fear! The angst will begin shortly! I have it all planned in my head, it's just getting there that is the problem. 


	3. 3

Thanks to all who wrote reviews! I'll try my best with Rin! Hope you like how he comes out, 'cause I don't even know anymore 0.o He's sort of just HAPPENING. Another rather short entry 'cause I like keeping you all in suspense. Question is do you want a lot of little updates often or a HUGE update that will take a while?  
  
Kuroi Yume (Black Dreams): Part 3  
  
Hisoka tried several times to teleport himself back to the Ministry. At each attempt there would be a small puff of air and then nothing, no matter how hard he concentrated. Another thing that worried him was the bruise on his stomach. 'It should have healed way before this' he thought. A while later he realized another thing out of place. 'I can't sense anything, not from the outside, not from the furniture. What is going on here?' Finally he was able to sleep as the sheer exhaustion from one to many teleportation attempts took its toll on him. When he woke again it was dark.  
  
"How long have I been sleeping?" Hisoka murmured to himself.  
  
"About 6 hours I would say." Hisoka looked up, startled to see Rin standing in a corner.  
  
"I didn't sense you." Hisoka stammered out before he could think. He mentally slapped himself. 'Don't say everything that comes into your head. You'll give away your cover.'  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"Huh?" Hisoka was once again surprised. 'What does he know about what I can do? What IS he?' "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I shielded this room. You can't sense anything. Your powers as a Shinigami will not work here." Hisoka sputtered for a few seconds before regaining his composure.  
  
"How do you know what I am? Why won't you let me leave? " Fear was starting to form in the pit of his stomach. 'I met him when he was taking with Muraki. They know each other. Oh gods, what is he going to do with me?'  
  
"You may leave if you can." Rin pushed off from the wall and strode to the door. He began tracing a pattern on its surface with his index finger. White glowing lines followed his hand. Finally the ends of the line connected and the whole pattern flashed. Hisoka prepared to teleport back to Meifu. Suddenly there was an explosion of noise in his head. Anger, happiness, sadness, loathing, pain, joy, these emotions and more bounced inside his skull making thinking impossible, making breathing impossible. Hisoka tried to finish the teleport, but the din was escalating, he screamed in pain. Then as soon as it had come, the noise vanished. Hisoka collapsed against the pillows of the bed.  
  
"Why?" He managed to gasp out.  
  
"Muraki has disintegrated your mental shields. There is nothing left. This room is surrounded by my barrier. You would go mad without it."  
  
"But why can't I leave?"  
  
"It is a powerful spell."  
  
"Why so powerful?" Rin looked away and did not answer.  
  
"You should rest. Your shields will come back in time, but it will take a while. Sleep is the best thing for you now." He opened the door and was gone before Hisoka could say another word. Hisoka could feel the weight of exhaustion pressing against his eyelids. His last thought before slipping into slumber seemed to echo in his ears.  
  
'Rin seems so.sad.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hisoka woke, for the third time, in Rin's bed. He shifted then sat up, rubbing the back of his hand across eyes that felt like they were full of sand. He then turned his palm over and stared at it.  
  
'I can move now.' Motivated by this discovery, Hisoka tried to get out of the bed. He quickly found that he was not as mobile as he thought. His legs became tangled; he felt himself slipping and tried to desperately grab at the sheets before he fell. His grip was foiled and he crashed inelegantly to the floor. Rin chose that moment to walk through the door. Utter silence reigned for an eternal second.  
  
"I see you've made.progress."  
  
"Was that supposed to be funny?" Hisoka was bright red with indignation. Rin did not reply as he came over and helped the very embarrassed Shinigami back to the bed.  
  
"Um...Rin? You wouldn't happen to have food would you?" Hisoka figured that after what just happened, nothing he could ask would be as humiliating. He started to rethink that as Rin gave him another empty stare.  
  
"That's right.food.wait for a moment." Rin turned and ghosted out the door. Hisoka shivered. What was it about Rin that felt so strange? Part of it might be the fact that he could not sense Rin's feelings, but that wasn't all. There were other ways of telling how people felt. Eyes, posture, expression, what they said, and what they didn't say. Rin's quiet stares and carefully chosen sentences depicted an aloof air about him. But what was most prominent was aura of sadness. 'I want to know why.No, it's not my business. I won't say anything.'  
  
When the silver-black haired boy stepped back into the room, Hisoka began to find that difficult. Now that he knew what to look for, Rin's body language was decidedly gloomy. Hisoka decided to chance it.  
  
"Rin, why are you so sad?" Hisoka flinched. 'Damn that was a stupid way to ask. I sound like a four year old kid.' Rin just froze. One of his hands, which was holding a plate, started to tremble. The boy practically dropped the plate next to Hisoka then turned and made a b-line for the door. "Wait Rin!" He stopped, one hand on the door handle. Hisoka could tell that he wanted to yank the door open and leave as quickly as possible.  
  
"I just want to know."  
  
"Know what?" Rin's voice was a barely audible whisper.  
  
"Who you are, why you are helping me."  
  
"And why should I tell you that? I owe you nothing." Hisoka looked down at his hands, they were clutching the sheets.  
  
"I know," He whispered. "You don't owe me anything; I'm the one that owes you. I just want to understand the person I'm indebted to." Rin looked up at him, eyes full of pain.  
  
"I'm Muraki's shadow."  
  
Author's Note: I KNOW it's a cliff hangar! ^_^ I do that on purpose. LUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *ahem* anyways, ponder that until I get the next chapter up. It might not be what you think. 


	4. 4

WAI! Gomenasai! Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been having trouble posting on my account in general…*grrr* but thanks to all who have reviewed and I hope you like this chapter!

Warnings: Mention of NCS, angst, stuff like that. 

Kuroi Yume (Black dreams) Chapter 4

Hisoka froze at the mention of Muraki's name.

            "What did you say?"

            "I am Muraki's shadow. I follow him, clean up the messes he makes. Have you ever wondered why Earth authorities have never gone after him?" Rin's voice was bitter. He did not look at Hisoka; he was staring intensely into the door. If Hisoka had never wished for the full scope of his empathy, he did so now. Knowing Rin's feelings at a time like this would give him an anchor to hold on to. He fought hard to keep calm and steady.

            "I'm not sure I understand you." Rin wheeled around, faltering steps taking him to the bed. Once there, his legs seemed to fail him. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. 

            "What's not to understand? He does his dirty work. Once he is done I destroy any evidence. The people he has murdered, all of them are listed under "missing persons" or have perfectly good explanations to their deaths." Hisoka was having a hard time comprehending Rin. It was as if there was an interminable space in which the words echoed until they became incomprehensible. 

            "Why?" Rin's hands fell to his lap where they clenched and un-clenched fitfully. 

            "I can't interfere. Ever." Even the boy's teeth were clenched now. His whole body was taut as if resisting the pull of some formidable influence. Hisoka felt a pain start to build in the center of his chest. 

            "All those people! How can you stand there and watch?" A chill washed over him, as something occurred to him. The thought ripped his breath away. "How long Rin?" The boy looked up, faint traces of surprise showing on his face. 

            "What?" 

            "How long have you been watching Muraki kill?" Rin's eyes closed in pain, but Hisoka continued. "Where you watching that night? When he…when I…" Rin paused for a moment then said in the smallest of whispers.

            "Yes."

            The pain in Hisoka's chest increased from an ache to a roar. Before he could stop himself he had launched himself at Rin, slamming the boy in the stomach and bearing them both to the floor.

            "You BASTARD! You were there the whole time and did nothing! NOTHING!" Hisoka was pounding Rin with his fists, screaming at him. Rin lay under him, not moving. "Did you have any idea how scared I was? How much it hurt…" Hisoka trailed off sobbing, the pain in his chest causing the sobs to hitch around it. He couldn't maneuver himself off Rin so he just lay there, crying into Rin's chest. He felt the boy's breath snag before he heard Rin's voice say precariously,

            "I'm sorry." Hisoka looked up to see Rin crying too. "I…couldn't interfere, but I felt…it was wrong. But…you can't interfere, never ever." Rin's eyes clouded and his voice took on the sound of a child reciting lessons. "Never ever…" At this change Hisoka scrambled to get off of the boy. Even with his uncooperative legs he managed to push himself up to lean against the bottom of the bed. Rin still did not make a move to get up, eyes unfocused. 

            "Rin?" Hisoka reached out a trembling hand to touch Rin's shoulder. He gasped and stiffened. He had wondered why he couldn't sense a thing from Rin. He thought that Muraki had taken away his empathic abilities. But he realized that the doctor had just taken away his control. Hisoka was totally vulnerable for, in his distress, Rin's shields had come down. The Shinigami was swept up in a hurricane. Rin's emotions, having been so forcibly repressed, were now running totally wild. Hisoka was torn between tides of disgust, hatred, loneliness, and self-loathing. Images flashed in front of his vision.

            //A young Rin surrounded by a group of friends, at the center of a ring of laughter. The boy watching from the doorway as his mother comforted a sobbing friend. A slightly older Rin was holding a small baby in his arms, smiling at her. Then the boy staring at his hands, they were covered in blood.//

            Hisoka tried desperately to disentangle his consciousness from Rin. But the silver-haired boy's mind hung onto him. The images were whirling so fast now he could not keep track of them. He couldn't handle any more. He slumped, boneless, to the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Rin and Hisoka's mind were still connected, so when Rin came back to himself, he brought Hisoka with him. The blond woke with ringing in his ears and the feeling of having been run over by a steam roller. Rin did not look much better; he slowly sat up as if dazed. He got up shakily and moved to help Hisoka to do the same.

            "Don't touch me." Hisoka hissed. He pushed himself back into a sitting position and glared at Rin. "Let me go." He could feel Rin mentally sigh.

            "I will, I have to touch you to do it." Rin's voice was tired almost pleading. Hisoka reluctantly gave him his hand. The boy took it, and very gently, unwound Hisoka's mind from his. As soon as he let go, Hisoka brought his hand to his chest.

            "You're an empath," He said accusingly. "Why did you hold onto me?" Rin looked hurt for a second, he gestured at the window.

            "Look." Hisoka turned, the window was shattered. "I lost control for a second; if you had gotten hit with the blast that resulted you would have been injured. Melding our minds for a time would prevent that." Hisoka thought for a moment.

            "So that's why your shields are so strong. You're powerful." Rin nodded. Hisoka's eyes narrowed. "You're running away, this room is just a cheap escape option." Rin's eyes snapped to Hisoka's, it was the first time he had seen so much emotion in them. 

            "You have no idea what it's like. Watching all those murders, all those things Muraki has done. I can't let myself feel anything." Rin was trembling now. Hisoka could his anger building. 

            "What about all the people who have died because of him? Your running away from them is a slap in the face. I can't accept that. YOU are the one who has no idea. Lying in a hospital as my shields deteriorated, all the suffering that was there wearing at me. He didn't just kill me, he tortured me. And you say you can't AFFORD to feel anything?" Hisoka's anger lent him strength; he managed to get his legs under him and stood up to look Rin in the eyes. "You say you can't interfere with Muraki, but you did didn't you? What made you save me?" Rin drew in a shaky breath.

            "I…I felt guilty, I remembered you. It was strange; I try not to remember anything. I couldn't let him hurt you again." Hisoka was still not satisfied.

            "Not enough Rin. I want to know what you think you owe Muraki." Rin looked terrified. He steadied himself a little.

            "Sit down, it's a long story."  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's note: I'm not kidding It IS a long story. Really! Its not that I just haven't thought of it yet. *cough cough* Anyhoo….I'll try to get the next part up ASAP but ya never know how it's gonna blow…*hee I rhymed* ^_^


	5. 5

_Flashback-_

// Rin walked down the street, his chest feeling light and full at the same time. He reached up and put a hand over his heart.

            'It's such a warm feeling, their laughter.' He smiled as he recalled the antics of him and his friends. 'It doesn't matter that no one else thinks it's funny, as long as we enjoy it.' He thought to himself. His step was light as he entered his house.

            "Kaa san! Tadaima!" He called down the hallway. 

            "Okairi Rin-chan!" His mother called from the other room. "Just go upstairs for now, I have a visitor." Rin nodded and finished removing his shoes before springing up the stairs. It wasn't often his mother had visitors, but when she did it was usually important. When they were there he would go up into his room and try his best not to eavesdrop. It wasn't always easy, sometimes the people were angry or sad, and he had to try hard not to listen. Today it was bad; the woman downstairs was totally distraught. Something to do with home…a friend…no…more than that. Rin quickly clamped down when he realized what he was doing. He wasn't quick enough. He could feel his mother notice him, and knew she would have a "talk" with him later. Sure enough, after the woman was ushered out the door, feeling much better, Rin could hear his mother's footsteps coming up the stairs. 

            "Rinjuu! _What have I told you about listening in on private conversations?" Rin smiled guiltily, he knew his mother wasn't really mad at him. _

            "She was upset." Rin looked up through his bangs, giving his mother his best "puppy" impression. His mother sighed in defeat and plopped down on the bed next to him.

            "What a nosey second grader." She ruffled his shiny silver hair. "Yes, I found the poor dear trying to walk home, crying her eyes out. I offered her a cup of tea. As it turns out she fell in love with a married man. He chose to stay with his wife and son, but after he got her pregnant." Rin nodded, sympathetic. 

            "So what are you going to do Kaa san?" Rin's mother gave him a sharp look.

            "What is our first lesson with people's feelings?" Rin looked at his knees.

            "Never ever interfere." His mother nodded.

            "That's right, I know it can be hard sometimes not to help but people need to learn to get through things on their own. If you try to help EVERYBODY you'll just wear yourself out. And besides," She brought a finger under Rin's chin and tilted his head up, tweaking his nose with her other hand. "You would be amazed at how much just listening helps." Rin made a face. 

            "Kaa san…doesn't it hurt when you watch them suffer like that?" His mother smoothed his bangs down over his forehead. 

            "Yes it hurts, but I try not to get too attached. It will hurt more if I take all their responsibilities on my shoulders. It's important to look after yourself too you know." 

_// end flashback //_

            Hisoka gave Rin an icy glare.

            "So what has this got to do with anything?"  Hisoka was back in the bed, with Rin sitting on the end of it. There was now duct tape on the broken window, and all the shards of glass had been swept from the floor. The boy's face was covered by his shock of silver and black hair. 

            "The woman came back fairly often. I knew that against her will, my mother was beginning to become attached. Time passed, my mother was pregnant, I had a sister. Then HE came." 

_// flashback_ //

"Kaa san! Tadaima!" Rin looked around in confusion. The house was dark, his mother didn't answer. Rin stiffened as he felt something wrong. The "something" was oozing out of the room where his mother often saw visitors. It was black and roiling; Rin's emphatic senses screamed at him that if it touched him he could very well go mad.

 "Kaa san! Kaa san! Where are you!?" Rin tried to ignore the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He extended his senses trying to find his mother. Suddenly the pit of his stomach dropped out all together and Rin fell to his knees, vomiting on the floor. 'That can't be her. That is NOT her!' He quickly pulled his senses back into himself. But not before he felt her notice them. A shadow fell across Rin. He looked up. His mother stood in the doorway. The black ooze was pouring out of her nose, eyes, ears, and mouth. In her arms she held his baby sister. Her eyes were open and staring blankly and her head lolled at a wrong angle on his mother's arm. 

            "There there..." she crooned, "Don't be afraid baby…mama's got you." Rin pushed back his tears and stood up. 

            "Let me take her mother." Rin's mother looked up sharply and hissed.

            "No you can't have her. Go away." Rin swallowed and said coaxingly.

            "It's alright mama…let me take her. I'll take good care of her." Rin held out his arms for the dead child. Rin's mother screeched. She whirled around and grabbed hold of the first thing she could find. Pain erupted in the boy's head as his mother struck him with all of her strength. A silver candlestick stained crimson clattered to the ground next to him. A cold laugh echoed through the house. Blood ran into Rin's eyes as he looked up. His hazy vision could make out a second figure emerging from the living room. The figure held a long knife in his hand. It was stained with blood.

            "Why, what is this!" Rin winced at the jarring note of mockery. "The madam has a son as well! How nice that she took care of you for me." A boy knelt down by Rin and touched his head, smearing the blood on his fingers. Rin's body convulsed. The boy's touch felt as sick and roiling as the black ooze. He looked around desperately for his mother. He finally managed to turn his head and was met with the sight of her prone on the floor. Her eyes were open and as sightless as his sister's. The blackness was no longer flowing but had pooled on the floor under her head. Rin's eyes finally came into focus. The boy was younger than him perhaps about eleven. He had slate gray hair and eyes. The eyes were cold and calculating, but Rin could sense twisted mockery hiding in their character. 

            "Who are you?" Rin gasped out. It was hard to talk. His head felt like it was going to split in half. 

            "There is not much point in talking to a corpse. That's what you are you know. The blow has crushed your head. You're only alive through sheer willpower. It's impressive but not enough."

            Rin couldn't focus, his vision was swimming. "Why?" he choked out. The boy smiled maliciously. 

            "Your family is the friends of my dear departed mother. I wanted to meet you all, the people who comforted and harbored that slut. Do you know my real father wants to take me in now? Hah! Apparently I have a brother too. Won't that be fun? We'll be such a perfect family." He laughed again. "Well I had better get going. Goodnight now. Sweet dreams." Rin grasped at his pant let, but the younger boy shook him off. Rin lay gasping on the floor next to his dead mother and sister. He felt the last of his strength give out. Blackness descended like a hammer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~


End file.
